I've posted before about how much I love my job and love living in London and I do, but I find my new totally cool and metropolitan lifestyle is totally encroaching on my blogging time. It's not that I'm necessarily too busy to blog, I mean some weeks I've had a lot of events, or I've stayed late at work a lot, but more that once I get home I just do not have the energy to blog. I just want to lie down and watch Hannah Montana (seriously). Most nights, I don't even have the energy to cook. I ate microwave pizza 6 nights in a row (seriously).
It's sad, because I love blogging. I love sharing my thoughts on books, I love reading people's posts and commenting. I scroll through my Bloglovin' feed every week looking for reviews of our books (if you review for us, send them to me, that would be so awesome) and I see all these amazing posts and I'm like "oooooh I want to read that! I want to read THAT and that one" and then I never remember to go back and do it. I share my thoughts on Twitter and I talk to you guys on Twitter but nothing beats a proper review. I've read so many amazing books lately that I want to share my thoughts on. Fearsome Dreamer. Fangirl. The Bone Season. I just don't seem to have the mental energy to arrange my thoughts into a cohesive post. I have so many half-written, abandoned posts lying around that I just...stopped writing.
This isn't me about to say "I'm off, then, ta-ra", more me...explaining. I've never really struggled with the work/life/blog balance before. I don't know if it's purely just that I am so TIRED all the time, or whether all the boring 'life' bits like cooking, washing, washing up that, honestly, my mum used to do for me before are now sapping all my productive home energy leaving me with just enough to eat something sugary, watch something trashy, and lament about my lack of blogging.
I've decided to post some mini reviews to get me back into the swing of things, so you should (hopefully) see them coming up soon. In the meantime, I'd like to know...does your life affect your blog a lot? Do you/have you struggled to maintain a balance like I am right now? Do you have any tips for overcoming it? Do you know any super-quick, super-cheap, super-tasty recipes I can have? Do you want to come and make dinner for me? Or do you want to tell me I really need to stop watching Hannah Montana? Thoughts in the comments etc.
It happens to the best of us, Caitlin. Being a mom of two and having a full time job, I can understand where your sentiments are coming from. I've disappeared from the blogging world before (not that anybody noticed) and it's all what I needed to get back into the swing of things. Keep ya head up!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your reviews. :)
Life's what you make it, Cait. I'm sorry but I really wanted to put a Hannah Montana reference in there. It scares me that I know the lyrics to some of the songs...
ReplyDeleteI have to juggle life, school work, homework and reading as well as blogging and all that stuff so I can totally see where you're coming from. I think everyone feels it once in a while!
I've come to realise that I can't do anything, so now give priority to the most important things ie. homework and things to do with school.
(I am still so sorry about that Hannah Montana reference. I've shocked myself! Haha!)
Life definitely gets in the way sometimes. I'm finding it so difficult to really maintain any sort of balance these days, but I'm trying. I feel so overwhelmed with blogging but I don't want to just stop, so I'm having to really think about where I stand. I feel you on being so tired, Caitlin. With all you're doing, I'm not surprised you are. Hope things ease up a bit!
ReplyDeleteOh, life constantly gets in the way for me! There's always something going on with the boys or my mental health gets in the way. Right now (and since before summer, really!) I've been forced into putting blogging on a back burner to focus on my uni course.
ReplyDeleteNo real tips to help though. I think easing your way back into things is a good plan. Don't stress yourself out trying to do more.
And please eat healthier! A diet made up of microwave pizza makes my stomach ache on your behalf :( :(
ReplyDeleteHow dare life get in the way of blogging! It does suck Cait, but we understand and still love you :) As for me, I've been out of uni and unemployed for going on 4 months so right now, I have nothing but time and it's driving me mad! I think mini reviews are a good idea, just ease you back into the swing of things. Hopefully you'll find a balance soon.
ReplyDeleteIt does get easier, promise! You'll start to feel less tired and will then be able to work out when you can fit blogging in. I tend to only blog when I feel like it, otherwise what's the point? I post/write drafts on the weekend with the occasional post during the week. You're still reading a lot, which helps! I think mini reviews are an excellent idea. Don't feel like you have to post the stuff you used to post before.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should make a big dinner on a Sunday (eg chilli or something) and eat it for a couple of days. So microwaving is all that's required. Plus freeze some so you can eat it the next week (to mix it up a bit) or save it till your skint.
ReplyDeleteYAY for being back :-)
I'll be keeping an eye out for your review on Fangirl (I LOVED it & have been fangirling over it ever since - I'd even read a Simon Snow spin off if Rainbow Rowell would write it haha!)
First up, I can understand exactly where you're coming from. For me, changing from having two part time jobs to a full time job and a part time job has knocked the energy right out of me. Add to that any social things I do, going to the gym and just wanting to spend time with my family, and there's very little energy or time left to blog. And I don't have a highly-stressful job like you, nor do I have to grow accustomed to a new way of living like you have. So it's only natural to feel tired and not feel you have enough time for blogging. I did stop blogging for a little while in July and had some guest posters help me out, and then in August I just posted when I could/wanted to and I think it has helped to just ease myself into it so I would recommend doing the same thing! So mini-reviews sounds like a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Laurafergs *points above* and Clover! Eating like that is actually not going to help your energy levels either. In uni I used to make a large bolognaise or curry or sweet & sour, use a quarter of it and then put the leftovers in the fridge or freezer so that when it came to eating I simply had to cook pasta or rice and reheat the food I'd made earlier - in the microwave ;) Definitely a healthier option but still a quick one!
I think if you force yourself to blog it'll feel worse, so just try to blog when you feel like it. And as Stacey said, making drafts when you can should help. Sometimes if I have a free moment at work and inspiration, I just start writing my thoughts/feelings down on a piece of paper to type up later when I have time!
Hope this helps at least a litte. We can talk in more detail when I next see you as well if you want! :D
This is what's happened to me in the past few weeks and why I actually have like 50 links of blogs to catch up with. And what happened to me just last summer. It's not the time sometimes, but just the motivation. I had the experience with food. I'd said that I would cook a lot for myself with the job I had and the great access to kitchens, and I didn't either. Sometimes I just fell asleep after work. *shrug* You do what you can.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad. (What are your books, btw? So I can send reviews to you :D). I am finding myself in the same quandary because I am no longer able to scroll through my Feedly and choose all the interesting posts either. It's especially bad when I'm compiling them for discussions on my bookish rounds posts and I see how much is out that I just don't get a chance to read. Also, Twitter is not enough :P. For one, I will probably not see a lot of your tweets because of the 8 hour time difference and the fact that I have weird hours and am not very good with scrolling through twitter anyway....
"I don't know if it's purely just that I am so TIRED all the time, or whether all the boring 'life' bits like cooking, washing, washing up that, honestly, my mum used to do for me before are now sapping all my productive home energy leaving me with just enough to eat something sugary, watch something trashy, and lament about my lack of blogging." <-- Even so, you might find a balance that works for you... but whatever happens, I wouldn't suggest forcing blogging, no matter how much you enjoy it. I'm currently doing that and I admit, the idea of a hiatus sounds so tempting o.o.
I wish I had recipes to give you. Watch HM if it helps :P. I don't have very good advice except doing other things until you feel more back in the swing of things. It's what I do with my writing when I don't feel inspired, and it helps. It makes me feverish to continue when an idea does strike, you know? I hope that helped, and i did see a review for Fearsome Dreamer that I'm going to peruse after this... so :)